's wages lost--they went home, had a wash and
changed their clothes, and got up to the Cricketers, where the brakes
was waiting, at one. Then they had the two hours' drive to Tubberton,
stopping on the way for drinks at the Blue Lion, the Warrior's Head,
the Bird in Hand, the Dewdrop Inn and the World Turned Upside Down.
(Applause.) They arrived at the Queen Elizabeth at three-thirty, and
the dinner was ready; and it was one of the finest blow-outs he had
ever had. (Hear, hear.) There was soup, vegetables, roast beef, roast
mutton, lamb and mint sauce, plum duff, Yorkshire, and a lot more. The
landlord of the Elizabeth kept as good a drop of beer as anyone could
wish to drink, and as for the teetotallers, they could have tea, coffee
or ginger beer.

Having thus made another start, Payne found it very difficult to leave
off, and was proceeding to relate further details of the last Beano
when Harlow again rose up from his heap of shavings and said he wished
to call the chairman to order. (Hear, hear.) What the hell was the
use of all this discussion before they had even decided to have a Beano
at all! Was the meeting in favour of a Beano or not? That was the
question.

A prolonged and awkward silence followed. Everyone was very
uncomfortable, looking stolidly on the ground or staring straight in
front of them.

At last Easton broke the silence by suggesting that it would not be a
bad plan if someone was to make a motion that a Beano be held. This
was greeted with a general murmur of 'Hear, hear,' followed by another
awkward pause, and then the chairman asked Easton if he would move a
resolution to that effect. After some hesitation, Easton agreed, and
formally moved: 'That this meeting is in favour of a Beano.'

The Semi-drunk said that, in order to get on with the business, he
would second the resolution. But meantime, several arguments had
broken out between the advocates of different places, and several men
began to relate anecdotes of previous Beanos. Nearly everyone was
speaking at once and it was some time before the chairman was able to
put the resolution. Finding it impossible to make his voice heard
above the uproar, he began to hammer on the bench with a wooden mallet,
and to shout requests for order, but this only served to increase the
din. Some of them looked at him curiously and wondered what was the
matter with him, but the majority were so interested in their own
arguments that they di